Priscilla's Spies

at importance at all times, but particularly so under the circumstances under which Mannix held it. His chief, Lord Tolerton, Secretary of State

ry care, not directly connected with the army, from her husband's mind. The beginning of Frank's holidays synchronised with the close of the parliamentary session. She arranged that Frank should spend the holidays with Sir Lucius Lentaigne in Rosnacree. She had every right to demand that her son should be allowed to catch the salmon and shoot the grouse of Sir Lucius. Lady

ot occupied with the cigarette, occasionally caressed his upper lip. A fine down could be distinctly felt there. In a good light it could even be seen. Since the middle of the Easter term he had found it necessary to shave his chin and desirable to stimulate the growth upon his upper lip with occasional applications of brilliantine. He was thoroughly satisfied with the brown tweed suit which he wore, a pleasant change of attire a

, so the gentleman in Harrod's Stores who sold them had assured him, would

own matchbox. Mannix arrived at the conclusion that he must be, for some reason, in a bad temper. He watched him for a while and then decided further that he was, if not an actual "bounder," at all events "bad form." The elderly gentleman had a red, blotched face, a thick neck, and swollen hands

the fishing-rod, and the gabardine. But Mannix, even in his condition of half awakened giddiness clung to these. He followed the porter across a stretch of wooden pier, got involved in a crowd of other passengers at the steamer's gangway, and was hustled by the elderly gentleman who had smoked the three cigars.

ase which lay at the side of the sofa. Then he fell asleep. He was wakened-it seemed to him rather less than five minutes later-by a steward who told him that the steamer was rapidly approaching Kingstown Pier. He got up and sought for means to wash. It is impossible for a self-respecting man who has been brought up at an English public

rately grateful to an obsequious sailor who relieved him of his kit bag. He carried, as he had the night before, his own gun-case and fishing-rod. The elderly gentleman, who carried nothing, had no self-control whatever. He

don't dawdle," said

Mannix. "This isn't a

ly he stopped in the middle of

derly gentleman, "go on an

gentleman pushed him again, this time with some violence. Mannix stumbled, got his fishing-rod entangled in the rail of the gangway, swung half round and then fell sideways on the pier. The fishing-rod, plainly broken in pieces, remained in his hand. The gun-case bumped along the pier and was picked up by a porter. Mannix was extremely angry. A tall lady, apparently connected with the offensive red-faced gentleman, observed in perfectly audible tones that schoolboys ought not to be allowed to tra

. Unfortunately his train carried him, slowly indeed, but inexorably, to the station from which another train, the one in which he was to travel westwards to Rosnacree, took its departure. The elder

ant offered to find out whether there was a doctor in the train. It turned out that there was not. The sympathetic attendant, with the help of a young ticket-collector in

said, "that's best

e ticket-collector, "t

," said Man

hiskey in it," s

you go putting whiskey and water on it it's likel

y, "you'd be in favour of soda water

ector, "but a drop of sweet oil the

said Mannix, "and something

k wrapped the soaked napkin round the ankle. The ticket-collector tied it in its place with a piece of string. The attendant coaxed the

or, "that you'd get damages out of the ste

pany. He felt vindictive, but his anger was all

ticket-collector, "that got ￡200 out of this co

"It was his elbow he dislocated, and him ge

so be he'd have gone into the court, but that's what he couldn't do, by reason of the

ully out of the w

ndant, "which was the cause of his getti

tor, still looking straight in front

lent traveller who secured ￡200 in damages was an

e," he said, "has his ti

" said the ti

ix, fumbling in his

d the ticket-collector. "

you ask me for

said the attendant, "and yo

thing for me to be bothering you about a ticket, and me just

ted to see the ti

ay you'd offer me a look at yours, if so be you had one, but as

man there is a natural delicacy of feeling which expresses itself in lofty kinds of courtesy. An Englishman, compelled by a sense of duty to see the ticket of a passenger, would have asked for it with callous bluntness.